


A Moment That Lives On

by Poet (norseblue)



Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-09-18
Updated: 2001-09-18
Packaged: 2018-02-19 20:55:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2402561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norseblue/pseuds/Poet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rimmer returns from being Ace, but it's not *that* kinda fic. Rimmer's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Moment That Lives On

I walk in and crouch next to his bunk. _My_ bunk. He's still sleeping in my bunk, the one we shared. I just sit there and watch his chest rise and fall. His snoring's lessened; must've had Kryten have his adenoids out. Probably did it the day I left. I chuckle silently, causing my shiny jumpsuit to catch the glare from the lights outside. A faint glow is cast across his face; or maybe that's just him.

I move to stand and walk out, but his soft, sleepy voice freezes me in place. "You're going to leave without saying anything." It wasn't a question or even an accusation.

"Listy." I smile down at him. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Smeg."

* * *

"I think I'm broken." It was a joke. He meant it as a joke.

He just wasn't expecting Lister to agree.

"I know." And Lister took him into his arms, soothing an ache Rimmer hadn't even known was there. He wept loud and long, soaking the smaller man's shirt with hologrammatic tears.

They made love, soft and slow and lingering. Rimmer had never imagined it could be like that; Lister had, he just never thought he'd get to experience it.

* * *

"You're here, but your mind's not. Where are you?" He'd caught me.

"I was remembering the first time we..."

He takes a breath. "Made love?"

"Yeah. I was thanking God that He let you lay beside me."

"You don't believe in God."

"I believe in you," I whisper. "You found hope in hopeless. You made crazy sane."

"Rimmer you weren't that ba--" I move to press my finger to his mouth in an attempt to quiet his protestations, but I can't trust myself to touch him. It has the same effect though, and he breaks off.

I look at him and half-smile. "The good news is I'm better for the time we spent together."

I can hear his voice crack as he begins to speak. "But the bad news is you're gone." He swallows a sob, and it's all I can do to keep from going to him, keep from kissing the unshed tears away.

"I have to go now."

"I know."

"I still love you."

"I know."

As I leave I don't glance back. I can hear him quietly weeping, and I know if I looked at him, I wouldn't be able to stop myself. I wouldn't have the strength to leave.

* * *

He woke up and felt for the other man, but his hands only came up with empty sheets. "Listy?"

"I'm here." Through the haze of sleep he could see a coffee-colored body climbing in next to his own.

He wrapped his arms around the younger man and sighed. "Mmm... Where'd you go?"

His lover turned into his embrace. "Had to take a leak. Did I wake you?"

"Hmm. No. I had a dream."

"Wanna tell me about it? Might make you feel better."

"No, I'm fine now," he said, yawning. He squeezed his lover tightly and began drifting back to sleep even as he felt the light kiss pressed to his brow.


End file.
